Move Along
by xXThe.Black.Parade.Is.DeadXx
Summary: Continuation of the alternate ending for "It Ends Tonight." Inspired by "Move Along" by the All-American Rejects. As Nightwing recovers, and with Kaldur in Atlantis with Aquaman to celebrate the fact that he isn't a traitor, he temporarly leaves Conner in charge of the team... what could go wrong? Chapter 6- "I'm not being pessimistic, I'm just stating the obvious."
1. What Could Go Wrong?

**A/N: As promised, Lakeshine, I'm doing the continuation of the alternate ending of "It Ends Tonight." It took a while for me to come up with a name, but I finally came up with one- "Move Along." Obviously, this was inspired by the song "Move Along" by the All-American Rejects. Sound familliar? They should. It was their song, "It Ends Tonight," that inspired the story, and both this song and "It Ends Tonight" are from the same album, titled "Move Along."**

**Long story short, I can't say no to Lakeshine, and I really like the All-American Rejects.**

**Kinda funny, lots of fluff, and all that jazz.**

* * *

**Chapter 1- What Could Go Wrong?**

_**Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking  
When you fall everyone stands  
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking**_

* * *

The team was happy to hear that their leader would be fine. They thought for sure that Nightwing wouldn't make it out of this one alive. But, it seemed that luck was on their side.

Batman instructed Nightwing to take at least two months off before he even considered doing a simple mission. Not that anyone blamed him- after all, the former teen wonder needed the time to not only recover from being stabbed in the chest and surgery, but also the time to rest after all that's happened over the past few months. However, Nightwing would be able to work as ops manager, a position Mal used to occupy before becoming Guardian.

Nobody was really angry like they were before. Really, a few of them felt guilty for being so angry. But Nightwing, being the kind of person he was, still thought they had every right to be.

Nevertheless, the team was happy to still have their leader with them. And with the Light and Reach out of the way, the intensity levels were slowly going down, and it was almost like the way it had been five plus years prior.

* * *

It was a fairly quiet day in the warehouse that the team was currently occupying. The League was currently in the process of creating a new place for the team to call home. This had been great news, considering that the warehouse was not that pleasant. There was little privacy, which Nightwing had repeatedly apologized for. However, it was close to the water, which came in handy when the team needed to leave unseen, and it was close to the action in Bludhaven, so if Nightwing was too busy (or, like he is now, injured), the team could take turns patrolling the area.

The senior members of the team, as well the members of the Bat family and almost the entire league, knew where Nightwing lived, and would check on him frequently at his apartment. Zatanna was the only one that would be staying with him until he recovered. This was mostly because Batman wanted to make sure Nightwing didn't try anything, since he's done things like go on patrol when he had pneumonia or going after a drug ring with a concussion before. But, since she and Nightwing were going out again, nobody really thought anything of it.

"Did they ever say how long it would be until it's done?" La'gann asked, "I'm tired of living in this stupid warehouse."

"Another week, at most." Kaldur replied, "I am assuming it will be similar to Mount Justice, as it is easy to operate unbeknownst to the world when we hide in plain sight."

"It'll take another week or so for us to put Zeta Tubes in the new Mount Justice and all the other technology we had, but we'll still be able to live there." Conner said.

**Recognized: Nightwing B01, Zatanna Zatara 25**

"Nightwing!" M'gann squeaked, as she flew down from the main level of the warehouse. She gave Nightwing a hug, being careful of his wound. It had been a week since they last saw Nightwing outside his apartment

"Batman's finally letting you leave your apartment?" Conner asked.

"Yeah. Do you have any idea how boring it is there?" Nightwing said.

"We can't exactly do much about that, not while you're still injured." Zatanna told her boyfriend (she refused to call him her ex-ex-boyfriend), "Believe me, I wish we could."

"You're cute when you're worried about me, you know that?"

"So I've been told. Tsuj ssik em, uoy toidi."*****

Nightwing smiled, "You know I love it when you talk backwards to me."

The two kiss, not caring when Gar entered the room and gave a look of disgust.

"C'mon, really? You two choose to kiss when I walk into the room?" Gar asked.

"Shh, Gar, let them have their moment." M'gann said.

Nightwing and Zatanna broke the kiss after a minute. "Gar, I think you just do this on purpose." Nightwing said. Zatanna giggled.

"I do not!"

"Sure…"

The members of the team that were there (minus Gar) laughed.

"Right, before I forget…" Nightwing said, "Kal, since I won't be able to go on any missions with the team for a while, I was wondering if you could lead them for a while?"

"I am afraid not, Nightwing." Kaldur said, "I must go to Atlantis to show the people I am not a traitor. I apologize."

"Don't worry about it, Kal. I'll figure something out." Nightwing told his friend, "There are other members of the team that are capable of leading for a while."

Kaldur nodded in agreement, "I must leave now, but I should return soon."

**Recognized: Aqualad, B02**

Nightwing sighed, "Damn it, what am I going to do? I don't suppose any of you have any ideas?"

"How come you can't just lead us?" Gar asked.

"I've got a few things I still have to take care of, so I won't be coming around the base for a while. I need someone to lead the team for a while so I can do this."

"What kind of things?"

"Autopsies, mostly. There have been dead people all over London with their guts ripped out, a crime not too different from a certain mass murder in the 1880's. The police aren't going to find the answer to this, so Batman's having me look into it."

"So you're heading off to London? Don't you need to recover?" M'gann asked.

"No, I'm not heading off to London. See, Batman and I have created a way to autopsy without actually being there. We're gonna try it out, see if it works." Nightwing said, "I'll be in my apartment doing this."******

"Noted." Gar said.

"Now, back to finding a temporary leader…" Nightwing said.

"Ooh! I'll do it! I'll do it!" Gar yelled, waving his hand frantically and jumping up and down, much like a first grader that knew the answer to a question.

"Sorry, Gar, but I was kinda looking for someone with more experience." The former boy wonder ruffled the green child's hair.

M'gann didn't look willing to do it. She really couldn't take such risks without being told.

La'gann was too harsh, and really, Nightwing was pretty sure he wasn't very well liked.

Really, the only one left was Conner. Now, Nightwing was aware that Conner, even after five years, still had a pretty bad temper. It was way better, and Conner had learned quickly how to control it, but it was still an issue.

"How about Conner?" Nightwing asked.

"Me?" Conner asked.

"Is there another Conner here? Dude, I think you're capable of it. You just… you just have to stay calm."

"Um… Okay…" Conner finally said.

"Now, could I talk to you for a second? In private?"

Conner nodded. He was sure that he already knew what was about to happen.

"Now, I'm putting you in charge because I know you can handle it, okay? You'll just have to be extra careful about your temper." Nightwing said.

"Right. Right." Conner said.

"Great." The Dark Knight of Bludhaven smiled, "Now, if your anger management issues get anyone on the team injured or killed, you'll regret it. If Robin is seriously injured in any mission you happen to take the team on, I will slit your throat with a Kryptonite scalpel. Okay?"

Keep in mind, Nightwing said this with a smile, which scared Conner even more than it should've. Forget the fact that the clone was almost twice the size of the bird, he would've shit himself even if it were the thirteen-year-old he knew so long ago.

"Okay." Conner said.

"Great. Now, if you need anything, I'll be holed up in my apartment for the next week or so, looking at dead bodies and hissing at my girlfriend when she wants me to leave the house or opens the curtains to let the sun in."

Conner nodded.

"See you guys later!" Nightwing said as he and Zatanna left the warehouse.

**Recognized: Nightwing B01, Zatanna Zatara 25**

As soon as Nightwing and Zatanna left, Conner Kent was officially the temporary leader of the team. He found himself in the position that constantly put pressure on Kaldur, Nightwing, and now, himself. Even a little slip on his part could cause anything from a minor injury to a member of his team getting killed.

What could go wrong?

* * *

_**With the life held in your  
Hands are shaking cold  
These hands are meant to hold**_

* * *

**A/N: Notes:**

***"Tsuj ssik em, uoy tiodi."- "Just kiss me, you idiot."**

****In the DC reboot, Batman has this new way of doing an autopsey without actually going to the m****ortuary. He installed this little scanner (I'm assuming with Commissioner Gordon's permission, since he knows about it, but you know how Batman is...) in the mortuary, and he can scan dead bodies and have this holographic image produced in the Batcave, showing every single detail of the body. It's very facinating, and it'd be a great tool to have if we had that tech now... but with technology advancing as quickly as it is, I wouldn't be surprised if we DID have it in the near future.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Balancing Act

**A/N: Second chapter! Yay!**

**I'd also like to point out that I've mentioned Doctor Who several times in this fic. I've really been getting into it. THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR IS AWESOME! I also like the Tenth Doctor, but I've only seen clips with him, not really entire episodes. So, if YJ isn't ever picked up for a third season (THERE'S STILL HOPE!), I'm officially announcing that DW might replace my urges for action, adventure, and comedy. (because, as we all know, the Doctor will live on for a long, long time...) You won't be seeing any Doctor Who fics (yet), because I've only seen, like, ten episodes, and I'd like to at least start when Matt Smith took over as the Doctor (was that the end of series four/beginning of series five? Not sure...) Maybe then you'll see some Doctor Who fics from me.**

**Also, if you haven't seen the "Asylum of the Daleks" episode, I spoiled the ending of it in the story. Sorry.**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Balancing Act**

_**Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do**_

* * *

"You put Conner Kent in charge of the team?" Wally asked.

"Yep." Dick said, not looking up from the files he had spread over the coffee table in his apartment. Since the crimes he was studying were modeled after those of Jack the Ripper, Dick had gathered as much information from a former girlfriend that just so happened to be a Ripperologist.

"Dick, you do know Conner has a history of anger management, right?"

"Yeah, I know… but he was the only one capable. M'gann didn't want to do it, Kaldur has business to attend to in Atlantis, and you and Artemis are retired. Conner was the only one with the experience. Anyway, I don't think the League will send anyone on a mission too difficult for a while, so I think he can handle it."

"I could've come to help."

"Last time I checked, you didn't want to get involved in the hero life… again." Dick looked up at the ginger, "Anyway, after faking Artemis' death, you pretty much made it clear that you didn't want to do anything like that again, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that being the leader of the team can be just as taxing, especially when you're balancing college on top of that."

"You balance both of those as well as the occasional team-ups with the Outsiders and the Justice Society of America." Wally said.

"True, but you weren't taught at an early age to balance crime fighting, school, gymnastics, three jazz ensembles, theatre, show choir, marching band, orchestra, drum line, and winter guard*****, now, were you?" Dick asked.

"Touché." Wally said.

Dick smirked. "Exactly."

The two laughed. Neither one of them had been able to laugh like that since Wally left the team.

"So… Artemis was wondering about your wound. You doing okay?" Wally asked.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. But I am incredibly bored." Dick sighed, "Honestly, I think Bruce just assigned this to me to keep me busy. I mean, why spend my time watching _Doctor Who_ and going out with my girlfriend when I could be studying Jack the Ripper and doing digital autopsies?"

Wally snorted. Only Dick Grayson would be this cheerful, even if he was stuck indoors working on some very gruesome detective work.

Dick looked back down at the files. "Walls, you mind doing me a favor?"

"Depends." Wally said, "Last time you wanted a favor, it involved my girlfriend faking her death."

"Not that kind of favor, I promise. Batman said he'd have the holograms for the autopsies on a flash drive. Could you go get it for me?"

"Sure. But didn't Bats say he'd bring it by later?"

"Yeah, but the sooner I finish with this, the sooner I can make _Doctor Who_ references that Zatanna wouldn't understand."

"Ah. Okay."

"Thanks." Dick said.

"No problem, dude. You need anything else?" Wally asked.

"If you have time, do you mind checking up on the team? I'd like to make sure that Conner's keeping everything under control."

* * *

**Recognized: Kid Flash B03**

"Wally! Good to see you!" Barry said, waving at his nephew.

"Hey, Uncle Barry." Wally said, "Is Batman around?"

"Yeah, he's in the monitor room. Why?"

"Dick asked me to pick something up for him. There's some information it that Dick needs."

"Ah, okay. See you later, Wally."

Wally made his way up to the monitor room, where, as Barry said, Batman was.

"Hey Batman." Wally said. Even to this day, the dark knight still scared him. He learned quickly to just make your presence known right away, because, if you even tried to sneak up on him, he'd end up beating the shit out of you.

"Wallace." Batman simply said. Batman wasn't good with greeting people. Dick always described his mentor as 'socially awkward, but in a way cooler than your typical socially awkward.'****** Wally was never sure how that worked, but he never bothered to ask.

"Um… Dick asked me to pick up some flash drive." Wally said. _Shit, now who sounds like he's socially awkward?_

"I planned on dropping it off later." Batman said, not looking up from the screen he looking at.

"He wanted to get started on it early." Wally decided not to add that last part about _Doctor Who_.

Batman, without saying another word, took the flash drive out of his utility belt and tossed it at Wally, who clumsily caught it.

"Uhm… thanks." Wally said. The ginger left before it could get any more awkward.

_Next stop, the team…_

* * *

The theme music for _Smallville_ plays loudly as Conner works on a project for college. Now, Conner didn't mind _Smallville_ (it was, after all, about Superman), but when he was in the middle of working on a very important project, and hearing Bart's blabbering over the theme song, Conner felt like he would snap the kid's neck.

It brought back memories, though. He remembered watching _Doctor Who_ with Dick and Wally back when the team first started and Wally would spoil everything. Dick, since he was always so busy, would record the episodes at Mount Justice (mostly because he seems to spend more time there than at Wayne Manor), and when they weren't busy, would watch them. Wally usually watched, and so did Conner, because in reality, he found it very interesting. However, Wally, who sees the episodes when they premier, tells them what happens next. In one episode, when the Eleventh Doctor, along with Amy and Rory, went to the asylum of the Daleks, Wally oh-so-casually said that Oswin Oswald became a Dalek.******* He later found Wally hanging down from the ceiling of the training room by a rope tied to his leg.

Ah, the memories. This reminded him that Dick would most definitely carry out that threat if anything happened to anyone on the team.

"Do you guys mind keeping it down? I'm trying to finish this project!" Conner yelled.

**Recognized: Kid Flash B03**

"Wally!" Bart yelled. The brunette sped down the stairs leading to the Zeta Tubes and nearly knocked Wally over when he hugged (or glomped, either one works) the ginger.

"Hey Bart." Wally said, ruffling his cousin's brown hair.

"What brings you here, cuz?" Bart asked.

"Nightwing asked me to check in, make sure you guys weren't driving Conner crazy." Wally said, "Where is he, anyway?"

"Up here." Conner called down.

Wally walked up the steps, waving at Conner. "So, you doing okay as leader?"

"I guess. We haven't been sent on a mission yet… hopefully it stays that way, at least until Kaldur comes back."

"You seem freaked out."

"Freaked out? I'm way past freaked out." Conner said, "Are you aware that 'Wing threatened to slit my throat with a piece Kryptonite?"

"Oh. Okay… well… um… good luck with that."

"I should strangle you."

"You won't do it. After all, you love me~."

"I should strangle you." Conner repeated.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Anyway, good luck with being leader. I'm sure that if you need help, though, Nightwing might have some advice."

"Good to know."

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Wally said, "I've got to talk to Bart about a certain legacy…"

* * *

When Wally returned to Dick's apartment later on, he saw that the nineteen-year-old was asleep at his desk, head resting on his arms. Really, Wally shouldn't have been surprised, seeing how this was the kind of thing he did a lot. Since he knew Dick's identity since before the team was formed, he knew the code to his room at Mount Justice. Wally would, on occasion, come in and find Dick asleep, with papers scattered across the desk, floor, and bed. After trying to wake the teen up, he'd end up carrying the bird to his bed after clearing off whatever was occupying the space, from files to electronics to the contents of his utility belt.

Wally smiled slightly. This was the first time in years that he's ever seen Dick look so comfortable in the most uncomfortable place one could sleep.

The ginger shook him gently. "Hey, Dick. I've got the flash drive."

"Hmm? Oh, thanks." Dick mumbles. The former boy wonder stretched and yawned, then he took the flash drive from the ginger. "How's the team?"

"They're doing fine." Wally chuckled. "Did you sleep well?"

"As well as one can when sleeping on a desk." Dick scratched the back of his head, "Might as well get started."

"Dude, you look tired. Get some sleep and worry about it later." Wally said, putting a hand on Dick's shoulder.

"But-"

"No buts, kid. Bed. Now."

"Okay, _mom._" Dick snorted, rolling his eyes. He left the room, heading off to his bedroom.

Wally left Dick's apartment. He was supposed to meet Bart over at his house to give him his old Kid Flash costume… hopefully, he won't be needing it anymore.

* * *

_**And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along  
Move along**_

* * *

**A/N: I'll be starting two more projects soon. One, titled "The Pistol, the Poison, the Noose, or the Knife," (title may change), will be a post-Endgame story, and the other, titled "Renegade," will be a Depths AU for the song "Renegade" by Styx. Hope you'll read them!**

***I just threw together as many after school and fine arts activities possible because, really, Dick would probably do all of those.**

****I don't know... Batman's terrible with people, but everyone thinks he's awesome, so, why not?**

*****lolI'msosorryforspoilingtheendoft hisDoctorWhoepisodeyoucanhit meifyouwanna.**


	3. Connections

**A/N: So, to anyone that read "Head Like a Hole" and is currently wondering about the time anomaly... I have a poll set up in which you can GUESS what caused it. I'll also be dropping hints in the A/Ns for "Head Like a Hole," so stay tuned.**

* * *

**Chapter 3- Connections**

_**So a day when you've lost yourself completely  
Could be a night when your life ends  
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving**_

* * *

When Zatanna walked into her boyfriend's apartment, she finds the silence unsettling. Dick Grayson was never that quiet, not when he was off duty. So, Zatanna's 'girlfriend-sense' kicked in. She set down the groceries she stopped by to pick up (because her boyfriend just couldn't keep food in his home) and quietly proceeded to the living room. Papers and files were scattered about, like it was when she had left. From there, she saw nobody had been in the kitchen. Zatanna moved into the bedroom, prepared to attack…

…And there was Dick, curled up beneath the covers, fast asleep.

Zatanna sighed, relief flooding through her. She had thought that he had been attacked or something.

Zatanna sat down on the edge of the bed that Dick was closest to and started running her hand through his soft black hair. She smiled slightly when his eyes opened.

"Hey, Zee." Dick mumbled sleepily.

Zatanna leaned down to kiss her boyfriend. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a minute."

Dick didn't need to be told a second time. He laid his head back down and drifted back off.

Zatanna smiled at the sight. Dick never did get much sleep, and she hadn't seen him like this for a very long time. But she can't help but think it's one of the most adorable sights ever.

"Egnahc otni samajap." Zatanna said. After she was changed into her sleepwear, she brushed her teeth and did what she typically did before heading back to the bedroom. She slid beneath the covers and curled up against Dick, who turned over and put an arm around her.

"Teews smaerd, ym evol." Zatanna whispered.

* * *

"_Superboy, Robin, Blue Beatle, and Kid Flash, report to the Watchtower for a mission_."

Conner sighed. He had to have seen this coming. Conner was hoping that Batman wouldn't send them on a mission…

Hopefully, it'd be something easy. Hell, he'd even take a recon mission!

**Recognized: Superboy B04, Robin B20, Blue Beatle B22, Kid Flash B23**

The members of the team selected for this mission were not only met with the sight of Batman, but also Nightwing, who was in civvies.

"Hey, Nightwing, I thought you wouldn't be going on any missions with us." Bart said.

"Loving the new look, Bart." Nightwing said with a smirk, "And, technically, I'm not going with you guys. I'll be playing ops manager, keeping you connected with the Watchtower at all times."

"Your mission," Batman said, "Is to gather as much intel on this man as possible."

A screen popped up with a man that looked like he was in his mid-twenties, with short, brown hair and dark eyes.

"His name is David Smith. He is suspected to be involved in various murders in London, very similar to those committed by Jack the Ripper in the 1880's." Nightwing said, "He, unlike the other suspects, has no record. Doesn't have a Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Instagram, nothing, so I can't get anything on him through technological means. He has a record with police, but I can't find anything on his personal life, his past… it's like he never existed. We need you to tail him for the next day or so, long enough for me to fill a few blanks."

"Why do we need so many people for a job like this?" Blue Beatle asked, "Wouldn't one or two people be enough?"

"He'll catch on, I can guarantee it. He'll get suspicious if he sees the same person in the same area the entire day. You'll all take turns tailing him, being sure to change clothes or something in between. You need to make sure you look different each time, got that?"

The team members nod, knowing that this mission was of great importance.

"Report to me every time you rotate. I don't need every blink of his eye or every step he takes. People, places, especially places that look suspicious or he frequents, as well as people he seems to know or anyone shady. I'll be hacking the cameras in any place you name, on every street, everywhere. I'll be your eyes and ears, and I can find whatever information is needed.

"Now, I've sent Robin a copy of what I do have on Smith, including his police records, occupational information, education, and his street address. Good luck, guys."

With that, the team was off to London.

* * *

"Hi, Zatanna!" Artemis said. She let the sorceress into her apartment.

"Hi, Artemis. How are things here?" Zatanna asked.

"Ah, you know, same as ever. Wally's got his internship at STAR labs and I don't have to work for another hour."

"So, you're bored."

"Exactly." Artemis said, "How's Dick?"

"He's getting better. When I came back from the Watchtower and the store, it was so quiet, I thought something happened to him. It turned out he was asleep." Zatanna smiled, "I've never seen Dick sleep without having to be sedated or knocked out or drugging his coffee, not for such a long time."

"I know how you feel. When he'd get sick, he wouldn't even object to sleep… that is, as long as I didn't give him cough medicine. I gotta say, though, when he was a kid, he could get anything out of anyone, especially if they wanted him to take a break or something. I can see why he and Wally are best friends, because neither of them can sit still."

"Oh, yes." Zatanna laughed, "It's torture for Dick to be cooped up in his apartment to work on autopsies. When Batman called and said he had a mission for him, Dick had all but ran out of his apartment."

Zatanna's cellphone vibrated. Zatanna checked it and gave the text message a look.

"Uhm… Artemis? Do you know what this is supposed to mean?"

Artemis took the phone and read the text.

_Fish fingers and custard! 8D_

"It's a _Doctor Who_ reference." Artemis said.

"Oh… for a second there, I thought he wanted me to make this for dinner… it sounds disgusting." Zatanna said, making a face.

"Actually, it's not as bad as you'd think." Artemis pointed out, "I've had it, and it's only a little gross."

"That doesn't help."

"Have you ever tasted Tamaranian food?"

"No."

"Fish fingers and custard is better than any Tamaranian dish. Be glad you haven't had any of Kori's cooking."

The girls laughed.

* * *

_Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap…_

"This makes no sense…" Dick whispered, "How can a guy have so little information on him?"

Dick had received a total of six reports from the small squad sent to London. So far, there hasn't been much information.

Dick looked over the notes in his laptop.

_David Smith, college graduate from IUPUI, born in London, England. Doctorate in medical science, license revoked for various crimes including larceny, sexual assault, and assault. No known relatives, no current boyfriend or girlfriend. Currently works at a convenience store._

The fact that Smith had medical knowledge made him an ideal suspect, since the victims all had their intestines removed and other parts of their anatomy were cut off. However, what they were missing was a motive. _Why_ would Smith kill people? As of now, he had no information on anyone he disliked…

_Wait a minute._

Dick pulled up the files on the victims. "Cross-reference all the victims. Find anything they had in common, anything."

The laptop generated a list of connections among the victims. Most of them were irrelevant, including the fact that they all lived in the same area, but there was one in particular that interested Dick.

_All victims work at Elizabeth Memorial Hospital_

Now, there was a connection.

"Robin, what hospital did Smith work at before his medical license was revoked?" Dick asked.

"_Um… Elizabeth Memorial." _Robin replied.

"Interesting…" Dick whispered.

"_Why? Did you find anything?"_

"I did. I cross-referenced all of the victims. All of them had worked at Elizabeth Memorial. I'd wager that all of them had played a part in him getting his license taken away."

"_That is interesting."_ Robin said, _"Should we keep digging?"_

"No… you guys have found enough information that give Smith a motive. You guys can come back."

"_Uh, Nightwing?_" Conner said, _"We have a problem."_

"What is it, Superboy?"

"_Smith is dead… same M.O. as the guy we're trying to find."_

* * *

_**All the pain held in your  
Hands are shaking cold  
Your hands are mine to hold**_

* * *

**A/N: David Smith... lol... I just combined the names of David Tennant (the 10th Doctor) and Matt Smith (the Eleventh Doctor). Get used to these doctor Who references, as you'll be seeing them for a long time... until I go on my yearly five-month hiatus for the Decatur Central Marching Blue and Gold.**


	4. Star-shaped Sunglasses

**A/N: I tried fish fingers and custard... it didn't taste that good.**

* * *

**Chapter 4- Star-shaped Sunglasses**

_**Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do**_

* * *

"Conner, did you or anyone else see anything?" Nightwing asked. His fingers flew across the keyboard, going from camera to camera all over London until he found the exact area Conner and the body of David Smith was.

"_No… we didn't see anything. Something came up, which, I'm guessing, was meant to distract us… somebody must've known that we were keeping tabs on Smith."_

"Why am I not surprised?" Nightwing sighed, "Something **always** goes wrong…"

"_Don't I know it… Should we keep investigating, try to find any leads?"_

"Stay put. I'll be there in ten."

"_You need to recover. You have to-"_

"Batman never said I couldn't go on field to do some snooping." Nightwing said, cutting him off, "Besides, this is just one more autopsy I'll have to do, and I might as well get a few samples while I'm there. Tell Bart, Rob, and Jaime to get to your position, and I'll be there in ten."

* * *

Zatanna and Artemis were still talking when Zatanna received another text from Dick.

_Off to London, gonna be late for dinner... promise to bring you something nice._

"What's up, Zee?" Artemis asked.

"Dick's currently in London, most likely going against Batman's orders and helping the boys out with something." Zatanna said, "Even if he had both legs broken and had a severe concussion, he'll always help his friends."

"You have to admit, it's an admirable feature in a guy." Artemis said.

"Oh, yes… I suppose it's one of the reasons I fell in love with him." Zatanna said, "Along with his sweetness, intelligence, playfulness, his butchering of the English language, and…" Zatanna blushed.

"Aaaand?" Artemis prompted.

"He has a very nice ass." Zatanna said.

Artemis laughed, "He does! Um… don't tell Wally I said that."

* * *

**Recognized: Nightwing B01**

Nightwing was only a few blocks away from where Superboy and the rest of Alpha were, but the problem was, he was in such a busy area of London. The only way to get by unnoticed was to go from building to building.

Batman's orders be damned, he was on a mission. So, he jumped from building to building, avoiding doing those twists and turns he was so accustomed to doing because, if he did, it might irritate his chest wound. It may have been two weeks since he was stabbed by Vandal Savage, but he still had to be careful, or he'd risk opening up his wounds.

Nightwing was there within those ten minutes he promised Superboy. Superboy had been joined by Robin, Blue Beatle, and Kid Flash. Robin was currently taking samples, which made Nightwing's life a little easier.

"Okay, let's see what we have here…" Nightwing said.

"Nightwing, shouldn't you be-"

The elder cut off Robin, "-at the Watchtower, recovering and staying bored out of my mind while I watch you guys have all the fun? Yes, I should, but this saves me an extra hour of my life." Nightwing looked over at his little brother. "Don't give me that look. I know damn well that you'd do the same."

Robin looked down. Nightwing was right, he'd totally do the same thing.

"Heart, lungs, kidneys, and eyes are missing. Stomach has been removed from the body, but it's still here… and currently leaking stomach acid and whatever the hell this guy ate. Ew."

"Hey, Nightwing… look, a souvenir." Kid Flash said. He held up a pair of star-shaped sunglasses, which was coated in blood.

"No, not a souvenir… a clue." Nightwing said, snatching the glasses from the brunette. "Recognize this, Robin?"

"Yes… those belong to… oh my god, _he's_ behind this!" Robin said.

"Anyone know who they're talking about?" Blue Beatle asked.

"No clue, hermano." Kid Flash remarked.

"Secret bat language." Superboy explained, "I've known Nightwing for a little over five years, and I haven't even learned it."

"Right, sorry." Nightwing said, "These belong to Matthew Thorne, alias the Crime Doctor."

"So, what are we going to do? Track him down and kick his butt?" Kid Flash asked.

"No. The mission was just to get information on David Smith… and we got that. However, we now know who's behind this, and we'll need to let Batman know that Thorne is our guy. He'll take care of the rest." Nightwing said.

"Awww…"

"Don't sound so disappointed, Kid. Even though our guy is dead, it led us to the real murderer. There are still unanswered questions, but Batman can get those out of him with little to no trouble." Nightwing said, "Since you guys managed to stay out of trouble, how about we go celebrate? Dinner's on me!"

"Uh… are you sure that's a good idea, hermano?" Blue asked, "I mean, with Kid's metabolism, won't that-"

"Believe me, I've got it covered." Nightwing said, "There's this great pizzeria in Happy Harbor that's second to none in my book."

* * *

"Hey, babe." Wally said when he walked into his and Artemis's home. "Oh, heya, Zee."

"Hi Wally." Zatanna said, "How are you?"

"Ah, I'm good. Lately, it's been kinda stressful at STAR Labs, but it could be worse."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Oh, it's fine. How's Dick?" Wally asked.

"Hyperactive… snuck out of the watchtower to help Bart, Jaime, Tim, and Conner." Zatanna said, "Well, I guess 'snuck out' isn't the way to put it, but… yeah, you know what I mean."

"Did they find anything?"

"Actually, I don't know. Dick hasn't called or texted me since-" Zatanna was interrupted by her phone, which blasted out the "Time Warp" from _Rocky Horror_.

"That's him!" Zatanna said.

"Put him on speaker." Artemis said.

"Okay." Zatanna answered the phone, putting it on speaker. "It's about time you called! I was starting to get worried!"

"_Sorry, Zee. It took a bit longer than I thought it would."_ Dick said, _"Turns out the guy we were tailing wasn't the next Jack the Ripper."_

"Oh, really? What proved his innocence?"

"_The fact that his heart, lungs, kidneys, and eyes were missing and his stomach had been removed and leaking stomach acid and whatever this guy had for lunch. It was freakin' gross!"_

"Ew." Artemis said, "I didn't need to know that, Grayson!"

"_Sorry, Artemis. Hey, is Wally there?"_

"Yeah, I'm here." Wally said.

"_Are you aware that your cousin eats more than you do? I mean, I thought I've seen the worst of speedsters pigging out when I saw you and Barry have a burger eating contest, but Bart... way worse." _Dick snorted_, "God, poor Tim didn't even see it coming! His reaction was just priceless! I know I shouldn't be laughing at this, but god!"_

Everyone could hear Dick laughing on the line, with Tim saying things like _God, Dick, stop it! That's not funny!_ Since nobody was really laughing that much (except for Wally, who knew very well what Dick was talking about), they all assumed that it was one of those instances where you just had have been there.

"_Sorry… sorry… off topic. We discovered a pair of star-shaped sunglasses, which belonged to-"_

"Elton John!" Wally said.

"_**No!**__ Why would Elton freaking John harvest people's organs and leave out their gross acid-leaking stomachs for the world to see?"_ Dick asked, _"They belonged to the Crime Doctor. It fits! I mean, the medical knowledge, and the fact that he took organs from people would explain it. Still unclear on what Elizabeth Memorial has to do with anything, but I don't even care. After seeing your cousin, I don't even want to think about Matthew Thorne."_

"So, what time will you be home?" Zatanna asked.

"_Uh, ten minutes or so. I had to take care of a couple things after dealing with David Smith's body… although the thing that took the most time was explaining to Bruce why I didn't obey his orders… man, you should've seen him. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry since I crashed the Batmobile."_

Zatanna giggled, "Okay, I'll see you when you get home."

"_Bye, Zee."_

Zatanna hung up the phone and laughed. "_**Elton John?**__ Really?"_

"He said star-shaped sunglasses! I'm sorry!" Wally said.

"I've gotta get going. If I'm not there before Dick gets home, he'll put on the suit and go on patrol alone."

"See you later, Zatanna." Artemis said.

* * *

Zatanna had arrived at Dick's apartment well before he did, since she just used magic to go there. She decided to spend some of the time she had to wait for Dick to come back to organize some of the books and files tossed around his living room because it was starting to bug her.

She had just finished getting the living room to actually look like a living room when Dick walked in, with a bag in one of his hands.

"Sorry I'm late." Dick said, handing her the bag, "But I brought something to make up for it, so it's okay."

"You can't go wrong with chocolate." Zatanna said, pulling out a box of Swiss chocolates, "You didn't have to get it, you know."

"I know… but I love you. I'd do almost anything for you, Zee." Dick said.

"Almost?"

"I won't kill, babe… but I might maim."

Zatanna giggled, "You bats and your dark humor."

"Hey, not our fault we were raised in a city of dark comedies."

Dick and Zatanna kissed. It was a sweet, gentle, kiss, one they shared during times like these, when they weren't needed to save the world, especially so soon after a near-death experience.

"It's getting kind of late…" Zatanna said, "But I'm assuming you're not tired."

"Nope, not in the least… you wanna watch _Little Shop of Horrors_?"

Zatanna smiled, "I'll get the movie, you make the popcorn."

About five minutes later, Dick and Zatanna were now in his room, the television and DVD player set up. They cuddled together as Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon started singing "Little Shop of Horrors."

* * *

_**And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along  
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)**_

* * *

**A/N: We all know it's true. Dick has the best ass in all of DC comics.**

**If you haven't seen "Little Shop of Horrors," you should! It's just hilarious, it's a great musical, and if you like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," you'll love "Little shop of Horrors."**

**And that Elton John remark... he's actually worn star-shaped sunglasses before, and part of that inspired the Crome Doctor's wardrobe. I thought having Wally think that Elton John was the newest Jack the Ripper would've been kinda funny... it wasn't really that funny, but I kept it there anyway.**


	5. The Crime Doctor's Office

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY FOR THESE SLOW UPDATES! I'm trying to finish all of these stories before I'm too busy with marching band, but, as predicted, it's not likely to happen. So, after May, updates will be very slow.**

* * *

**Chapter 5- The [Crime] Doctor's Office**

_**When everything is wrong, we move along  
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)**_

* * *

Dick was sleeping very well when Zatanna poked him in the back.

"Ugh… Zee…" Dick mumbled.

"Phone. Get it." Zatanna mumbled back, pointing at the phone next to Dick's side of the bed.

Dick rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone, "'Ello?"

"_Dick… uh, it's Conner…_"

"Conner, are you aware that it's three in the morning?" Dick asked.

"_Yeah, but I thought you'd be up…"_

"I am now."

"_Sorry. Just assumed that-"_

Dick chuckled, "I know, Kon, it's a reasonable assumption to make. What's up?"

"_I think I've found a connection between the Crime Doctor and Elizabeth Memorial hospital. I found out that-"_

"Kon, could this wait for another few hours?" Dick asked, "I mean, it's great that you were doing research, but I've seen enough dead bodies and connections for one day."

"_Uh, sure… sorry."_

Dick smirked, "It's fine, man. I'll be there in a few hours."

"'_Kay. Bye."_

Dick laid back down and tried to go back to sleep. After about twenty minutes of not being able to go back to sleep, he got up, dressed in whatever was clean, and grabbed his cellphone. He dialed Conner's number.

"_Dick? I thought you-"_

"Tried to back to sleep and I couldn't. Thanks a lot, clone boy." Dick said, "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."

"_Uh… okay. Okay, great."_

* * *

After changing (and a quick stop at one of the few places open at three-thirty in the morning for **something** caffeinated- McDonald's), Dick was in the Watchtower. The nineteen-year-old winced as the computer announced his presence.

"Alright Conner, what's up?" Dick asked, yawning.

"As I told you over the phone," Conner said, "I think I found a connection between the Crime Doctor and Elizabeth Memorial. It appears that our latest victim, David Smith, was helping the doctor by supplying him with medical supplies. Since the hospital didn't know about his criminal background until a few weeks ago, thanks to a very generous bribe to whoever is in charge of these background checks, Smith was able to secretly steal supplies for Thorne to use. However, the person in charge of the background checks was fired, on the grounds that he had been accepting bribes, the first one to be checked was Smith. His criminal record was uncovered, his medical license was revoked, and Matthew Thorne had no more supplies coming to him. A great majority of the supplies given to Thorne were organs… to be exact, kidneys, lungs, hearts, and eyes. Seeing how he had no organ donors, he did the next best thing- kill for fresh organs."

"Interesting…" Dick said, "However, Matthew Thorne doesn't like to get his hands dirty. Perhaps Smith originally carried out the murders, and targeted employees working at Elizabeth Memorial. If I had to guess, I'd say Thorne was paying smith quite a bit to do all this, and Smith demanded more money or he'd go to the authorities. Then, I'm sure that Thorne would have no other choice than to get his hands dirty."

Conner nodded. He had read up on the Crime Doctor's file after he returned to the Watchtower. Surprisingly, there wasn't much on Matthew Thorne, so Conner thought he was either exclusively Batman's issue, or that he was just that good at avoiding drawing attention to himself.

"You're right, Kon."

"Huh?"

"I know what you're thinking. We don't have enough info on this guy. You're right to think that the guy is very good at keeping Batman's attention off of him. See, he uses fall guys to prevent anything from being pinned on him. It's only when they try to rat him out he chooses to get his hands dirty. Plus, Thorne's records are all on paper, so any evidence he has filed is destroyed within a certain amount of time. Because of all this, Batman can't pin a thing on the guy. However, the fact that we found out that Smith was supplying Thorne with organs… it appears that we almost have enough evidence to get the good Doctor thrown in prison."

Conner nodded in agreement. "Great… and since the guy hates getting his hands dirty, maybe he won't escape an hour and a half after capture like the Joker does."

Dick rolled his eyes, "Ugh, please don't bring up the Joker. And technically, we manage to keep him in Arkham Asylum for _**two hours**__, _not an _**hour and a half**_."

Conner smirked, "Same difference."

"If I wasn't so tired, I'd hit you."

Conner chuckled. Yeah, this definitely beat going toe-to-toe with the Reach.

* * *

Zatanna was just waking up when the ringtone she set for Dick, _Welcome to the Black Parade_ by My Chemical Romance, blasted from somewhere in the bedroom. Zatanna wasn't sure where she put the phone, nor was she up to getting up from the bed to go find it, simply said, "Enohpllec, emoc ot em."

The cellphone was in her hand now, and she answered with a cheerful voice, "Hey, babe."

"_Hey, Zee."_ Dick said, _"Sorry I'm not there, I had something kind of important to do."_

"That's okay. A Bat's work is never done, even when he should be resting, right?"

"_Right... so, maybe later on today, you wanna go out to lunch? I know this decent Chinese place in the 'Haven that isn't infested with rats and the food doesn't have bugs and feces in it."_

"Okay… ew." Zatanna laughed, "How about we just go to that cute little retro diner in Gotham? At least then I won't have to worry about a drive by shooting."

"_Hey! Drive by shootings in Bludhaven are at a record low at only… okay, okay, I see your point."_ Dick said, _"Alright, Rosie's it is… around noon?"_

"Noon-ish it is, goldie." Zatanna said.

"_Alright. Bye, beautiful~."_

* * *

At around ten in the evening, Nightwing had assembled the same team he sent out yesterday, along with M'gann and reserve member Jericho.

"Okay, Batman's over in Transylvania with the Outsiders, taking care of a… um… vampire issue, so I was told to assemble a team and pass along the message. A very reliable source had given us a probable location as to where the Crime Doctor is. I, of course, won't be going, but I'll be your eyes and ears. However, there aren't many cameras in the area, but I have a simple solution for it."

Nightwing handed Bart a pair of goggles that looked exactly like the ones he was wearing now and a pair of contact lenses for Conner.

"Impulse, these goggles have been modified with a micro-camera in them. Superboy, your contacts are the same way, and they shouldn't have any effect on your x-ray vision. I know, I checked. I'll see anything you see. Be careful with them, though… they're prototypes, so if they're damaged, I'll feel the wrath of Batman. Blue's Scarab will also be transmitting visual imagery as well as sound waves." Nightwing said, "Now, I'm sending Jericho with you guys because of his interesting ability. I don't think any of you have seen it- or felt it, for that matter- but I'm sure it will come in handy."

"Jericho is the son of Deathstroke, right?" Blue asked. Nightwing nodded. "Then… why send him, Nightwing? Aren't you afraid of him betraying us?"

Nightwing glanced over at Jericho. "It's true that he's Deathstroke's son… but Artemis was the daughter of Sportsmaster and the former villainess Huntress, but we trust her with our lives. I've known Jericho since I became Nightwing. Seriously, he was _there_ when I officially became Nightwing. I've worked with him both as a reserve member of the Teen Titans and outside of either one of our teams. I trust him with my life, since he saved my skin a few times."

Blue nodded and turned to Jericho. "Er… sorry."

Jericho simply nodded and smiled slightly.

"Hope you guys know sign language…" Nightwing said, "Jericho's mute, so… yeah. Now, our objective isn't to capture the Crime Doctor. Rather, we just need to get our hands on any records possible. We need to make sure he doesn't know we were there, so take pictures of the documents rather than taking them with you. Any evidence will help us out."

Nightwing glanced over at Robin. Neither of the two said a single word, but they really didn't have to.

_Be careful…_

_I will._

"I'll send you the coordinates once you're on the Bioship." Nightwing said.

M'gann nodded. The team was off to pay a visit to the good doctor's office.

* * *

_**When everything is wrong, we move along  
Along, along, along**_

* * *

**A/N: Would you believe that I debated on what Zatanna's ringtone for Dick would be? I couldn't choose among "The Ghost of You," "Welcome to the Black Parade," and "SING" (all by My Chemical Romance, since I'll be throwing in as many references to them as I possibly can since they broke up), and chose one of the first MCR songs I've ever heard (which was "Welcome to the Black Parade")**

**And Jericho is my favorite disabled superhero ever. Sorry, Oracle...**


	6. Realistic Doesn't Mean Pessimistic

**A/N: I started up again with marching band... updates will be very slow...**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Realistic Doesn't Mean Pessimistic**

_**When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do**_

* * *

"Coordinates have been received, Nightwing. We're heading out."

"_Acknowledged. I'll set up the video feed when we get closer to the arrival point. Remember, do not engage right away. We only need to find evidence that the Crime Doctor is behind this. Batman will take it from there."_

"Understood."

"_Great. Nightwing, out._"

M'gann glanced over at Conner. He looked incredibly nervous.

_Conner, you okay?_

_No._

Well, at least Conner was honest. _What's up? Do you want to talk about it?_

_I'm expecting a lot of things to go wrong, M'gann._

_Conner, being pessimistic won't help you._

_I'm not being pessimistic, I'm just stating the obvious. When was the last time anything went right?_

A mental sigh came from M'gann, _I guess you're right. But, if we're careful, there shouldn't be anything to worry about._

_I'm not a careful person… damn, why did Nightwing have to pick me to do this?_

_He thought you were qualified… and I agree with him. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself and worry about leading the team._

_Right… thanks, M'gann._

_No problem, Conner._ M'gann cut the psychic link and went back to steering the bioship.

* * *

**Recognized: Batman 02**

Batman was welcomed with the sight of Nightwing analyzing samples of what he believed to be Titan, mumbling things Batman couldn't understand from where he stood.

"Heya Bats." Nightwing didn't look up to acknowledge his former mentor's presence.

"Titan?"

"Yup. People are dropping like flies all over Bludhaven and it's all because of this stupid drug." Nightwing sighed, obviously frustrated. "The weird thing is that I have no idea what I'm looking at here. I've given Wally a sample to look over at STAR, but he hasn't called back about it. With my luck, Wally won't find anything, either."

"You'll find the active ingredient. I know you will." Batman glanced over at the screen that showed a molecule of Titan.

"_Nightwing, ETA to suspected location of the Crime Doctor is approximately two minutes."_

"Acknowledged," Nightwing said, "Setting up audio and video feed. Remember, don't engage unless it's absolutely necessary. Robin, the holo-map I gave you should tell you where the security system is located. Just put the chip in and I'll take it from there."

"_Understood._" Robin did as he was instructed and within seconds Nightwing was hacking away.

"Security systems and motion sensors are now down. I'm in control of all security cameras in the area. Whatever security the good doctor has will be seeing looped footage of an empty hallway. Currently, there are sixteen guards covering the area outside, ten in the lower level of the building, and three in the upper level." Nightwing tapped a few keys, switching to the camera on the roof. "Miss M, there's one guard on the roof. Take care of him."

There was no reply on Miss Martian's end, so Nightwing assumed that the Martian took the form of a guard and claimed that she was there to relieve him.

"_The guard has left the roof, Nightwing."_ Robin said, _"We're prepared to infiltrate._"

"The Crime Doctor's files are located in the floor just below you, third door to the left. Thorne is likely in the room, so we'll need a distraction. Robin, Superboy, Jericho, you three get to Thorne's office as quickly and quietly as possible."

"_We're gone."_ Superboy said.

"Miss Martian, you will need to set up a distraction with Blue and Impulse. We need to get as many of the guards as possible in one place, and, if possible, the Crime Doctor out of his office."

"_Distraction's already in progress. Miss M called in the other guards, and the whole lot of them are heading up as we speak."_

"Perfect." Nightwing can't help but smirk. "If we play our cards right, we should be in and out without complications."

"_Guards are on their way. Better cut the chatter now."_

"Blue's right. Good luck guys."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the building, Jericho, Superboy, and Robin had made it into the room without any problems. As expected, the Crime Doctor left the office upon hearing the alert. Robin estimated that they had no more than ten minutes to gather enough evidence, which was plenty of time for three teenagers on a mission.

Superboy was thankful that the light was already on in the room. If not, they would've given themselves away within moments. The clone was in no mood to get caught today.

"There's a computer here… great." Robin said, taking a flash drive from his utility belt, "And it's from the twenty-first century. I'll see if he has anything useful."

"_You do that, Robin. Superboy, you and Jericho go through his files," _Nightwing said, _"Jericho, take pictures of the files you look through and I'll have a look at them when you get back. Superboy, all you need to do is look at the documents long enough for me to get enough information out of them."_

"Roger that." Superboy said.

Within those ten minutes, Jericho had taken around thirty pictures of the documents he deemed good evidence, and Superboy had found another thirty-four. Robin hadn't found much on the Crime Doctor's computer, but he did find several transactions to a Swiss bank account in the good doctor's bank history as well as the e-mails and phone numbers of many contacts.

"_I think we have enough evidence. You guys are good to go."_ Nightwing said. Superboy could practically hear the smile in his voice. _"Miss Martian, have the guards been taken care of?"_

"_Yes. Bioship's prepped and ready."_

"_Great. Now, get out of there before- kzzt!"_

"Nightwing? Nightwing, do you read me?" Superboy said. _Gah, static_.

"Sorry, connection's been broken."

Superboy turned to the door and saw the Crime Doctor himself along with a few guards.

"Now, unless you want me to have an associate of mine destroy Big Ben, you'll come quietly." The Crime Doctor had a gun pointed at Robin and another at Jericho, "Robin, if you'd kindly remove your utility belt and place it on the floor, I would be happy to confiscate it before you have the chance to risk you or your friends' lives."

Robin did as he was told, and one of the guards came to pick up the belt.

"Superboy, if you try anything, I will blow both of their brains out. I'd rather not do so, since I truly hate to get my hands dirty _**or **_waste good specimens."

_I knew something would go wrong_.

* * *

_**And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through**_

* * *

**A/N: Remember when I asked, "What could go wrong?" There you go.**


End file.
